In the United Kingdom at least, approx. 0.5 to 1% of the population at any one time suffers with venous and/or arterial ulceration affecting the lower limbs. Despite often vigorous treatments, either in hospital or by nurses in the community, leg ulcers may remain for several years. Often, even when healed, ulcers can recur and/or remain unhealed for many years. They also cause social problems, since the odour caused by infection is severe, and isolates the sufferer.
Typically, such a wound requires cleaning and dressing from twice daily to twice weekly, using expensive lotions and dressings, e.g. compression bandages, which often prove to have limited efficacy. The treatment is often very labour-intensive, in hospitals and even more so to the district nursing service.
In summary, the treatment of leg ulcers is expensive and often, has little or no effect. In addition, there are other types of wounds on limbs or stumps that require effective care. These include ulcers or wounds caused by diabetes, skin cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.
For example, a typical treatment for hand wounds and, in particular, burns is to clean the ‘wound’, then place the hand into a plastic bag and tip in either liquid paraffin or Flamazine (a topical antibiotic cream). In concept, the ‘bag’ protects the hand from trauma/secondary contamination, allows free movement of fingers (‘auto-physiotherapy’) and hence part-prevention of contractures, and allows visualisation of the hand. Often, a bag cannot easily be found, the medication cannot easily be found, and tape, to secure the bag, is wrapped so tightly that getting the bag off is difficult. Furthermore, all these same problems are encountered when the bag needs changing, especially if this is to be done in the home environment.
By way of example, an Accident & Emergency Department serving a catchment population of 180,000, sees between 1 and 3 persons per week having such hand wounds. Each requires once or twice daily dressings for an average of 10–12 days.
GB-A-2265314 discloses a protective article for securing around a body part, specifically an arm or leg. It comprises an inflatable protective shield formed from a breathable thermoplastic polyester urethane film, with a sealable cuff.